Check out the back area where the hook is located. Is about 12" out of the water. There is spray hitting the hook but that it..

Interesting thought about the hook. I read about a 242 in Fla that ran 81 with a charged eng and he claimed removing the hooks made it squirrely at that speed. Your idea would have it that the hooks are not in the water to effect the boat.

I have waffled on this idea for a while but since I don't have the new power in the boat yet I can't test it out. Maybe your on to something. I would like to keep the stability the hooks give at water sport speeds but I don't want them in the way at top speeds.

I think chewymalone removed his hooks... I think he said he gained 3 mph at cruise but gained nothing top end. I'm pretty sure this is because at high speed they're not in the water

What did you use to get the color back to perfect? What was the steps and what did you use?

I wet sanded the entire boat. On the red and black i started as low as 400 then 600, 800, 1000. Then I used 3M super duty rubbing compound and Finese It II finishing compound. It was a lot of work but much better than repainting. There is a new product out called vibra cut. Glass Dave swears by it, going forward I'm using that instead of the 3M products.

Is that Lake Charlevoix ?

Nope, Portage Lake (Onekama), almost straight across Lake Michigan from you.....

How rough does it get in those lakes?

It can get very nasty on the Great Lakes! Not long ago we had waves in excess of 20 feet in Lake Michigan. The waves here are very vertical compared to ocean "swells". I believe it was discovery channel that claimed Lake Michigan is the most dangerous body of water based on square miles and accidents.

It looks like a very nice lake. I do most of my boating on Lake Charlevoix. your boat looks great. You have done an excellent job so far. I would love to see more updates as you do them. I still need to post pictures of my interior after I was done.